Carbon electrode and the method of producing the same.



No 845,585. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

T. P. SH'ARTS. GARBON ELECTRODE AND THE METHOD 01-" PRODUCING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 6. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRUMAN P. SHARTS, OF READSBORO, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES J. HOWE, OF JAMAICA, VERMONT, AND ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM C. DAVIS AND ONE-FOURTH TO J. H. COLE, OF READSBORO,

VERMONT.

,CARBON ELECTRODE AND THE METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

Patented Feb. 26, 1 907.

To all whont it may concern: I

Be it known that I, TRUMAN P. SHARTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Readsboro, in the county of Bennington and 5 State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbon Electrodes and the Methods of Producing the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of m the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates toimprovements in carbons for electrical purposes, and has particular relation to carbons for electrodes, as

' well as to the process of making such carbons or electrodes.

This invention. comprises an electrode formed of hard charcoal carbon produced by the combustion of hydrocarbon oils.

The invention also comprises the method of making an electrode for electrical uses comprising the massing of charcoal-carbon resulting from the combustion of petroleum or like hydrocarbon oil and shaping the said carbon in suitable form for the desired pur pose.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements 0 of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a mechanism for producing or massing hard or charcoal carbon. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the manner of thickening the carbon mass. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an electrode fashioned from the carbonproduced in accordance'with the present invention.

In producing a carbon for electrical purposes it is important in many of its uses that it be a good conductor, and yet be capable of resisting a considerable degreeof heat. This is. especially so in electrodes used in arc-furnaces, where excessive degrees of heat are employed for various purposes. The present invention contemplates the formation of carbon in a homogeneous mass which shall de- 5 velop the properties of electrical conductivity, as well as the power of withstanding tremendous degrees of heat without impairment. -While the process may be carried out in various ways and with different kinds of apparatus, I have, for the sake of clear description, shown in the accompanying draw- 5 5 ings one means by which the process may be carried out to advantage. The process embraces the formation of carbon products of combustion by the burning or combustion of hydrocarbon oils under the influence of a ()0 blast of air which with the said hydrocarbon oils will be finely comminuted or atomized and then collecting the said carbon products upon a suitable'surface or collector, so that it will be accumulated in a solid or homogeneous mass.

Referring to the apparatus which I have shown as adapted for carrying out the proc ess, 1 indicates any suitable closure or furnace, into which a jet of oil and air may be '70 introduced through an oil-burner 2. Burners of various types may be employed; but I preferably use a burner in which the oil is supplied thereto insuch a manner that it may be taken up from the nozzle 3 of the burner by a blast of air also forced through the burner, the effect being to finely spray or atomize the oil within the closure 1. The oil may be supplied to the burner 2 through suitable piping, as 4, while the air is delivered to the burner through piping 5. The air is preferably used under sufiicient pressure to carry the jet of mixed air and oil well across the chamber inclosed by the furnace 1 before it becomes ignited, The heated products of combustion are thus caused to impinge upon and collect on the surface which is set up opposite the burner 2. In the structure shown the collecting-surface is formed by the end wall 6 of the furnace. I find in practice that the carbon products of combustion will collect upon the surface of the back or end wall 6 very much in the shape of the mass indicated at 7 in Fig. 1. The carbon products will collect to a certain extent-say to 9 5 the thickness shown in Fig. 1and then in order to increase the size of the mass it is necessary to move the collecting-surface to a greater distance from the burner, since the carbon. products of combustion will not collect beyond a certain point with relation to the said burner. As shown in 2, the collecting-wall 6 is moved at a distance from the burner 2 and a portion of its face is covico . evident that in order to further thicken the The carbon'product collected in this manner is possessed of great hardness and is also -stand any degree of heat which I have yet ered with material which is not affected by an ordinary degree of heat-such, for instance, as fire clay. The surface of the wall is thus built up by the application of the fireclay to a point approxlmately'in line with the inner face of the mass 7. The continued operation of the burner will thus operate to add further deposits of carbon upon the inner face of the mass 7 as clearly indicated at 8 in Fig. 2 of .the drawing. It will be mass of carbon collected upon the end wall 6 of the furnace that it will only be necessary to successively movethe wall to further distances. from the burner, building up the surface thereof with fire-clay, as just'de scribed. When a desired thickness of carbon has been collected upon the face of the end wall, the said wall may be removed and the carbon deposit taken therefrom and shaped or manipulated in any desired manner for forming carbon articles for electrical use and generally for the formation of car bon electrodes or pencils, such as are suitable for use in arc-furnaces, electric-lighting apparatus, or in any other desired mechanism. In carrying out this process it is necessary to form the structure or furnace 1 of material capable of resisting a considerable degree of heat. I therefore usually construct the furnace or closure 1 of fire-brick or similar fire-resisting material. The closure or furnace 1 may be made with an outlet-apen ture, as 9,'located in any of its walls for accommodating the final escape of the productsof combustion not deposited upon the end Wall 6. As shown in Fig. 3, the carbon mass removed from the furnace may be cut, ground, or otherwise formed into the shape of a pencil or other electrode for which this. material is found especially well adapted.

found to be an excellent conductor of electricity, and since it is produced by the combustion of hydrocarbon oils and especially of crude petroleum, I term the same charcoal-carbon.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting the production of the material to an apparatus like that described and shown, since it will be evident that the process may be carried out in any structure in which a suitable collecting-surface may be brought opposite to an air and oil burner in such manner as to collect the carbon products of combustion and pile them into a mass of a homogeneous character. I find in use that the carbon thus obtained is particularly well adapted for employment in electrical arc-furnaces, and that electrodes formed of such carbon will with- .lected as above been able to apply. The charcoal-carbon electrodes produced and forming the subjectl matter of the present invention make it possible to use an arc of such a high degree of heat that ores and metals of all sources can he reduced and se arated with great facility. While I preferahgy em 10 I the carbon colescri e for use .as electrodes, of course it will be understood that such carbon can be employed for .other uses, especially of an electrical character, where a good conductor is required, without departing in the least from the spirit of the invention. The said carbon can also be used as a heat-resisting medium, as in forming a rece tacle for holding materials which are to e subjected to an excessive degree of heat, or for lining or protecting surfaces which are to be subjected to high temperatures. WhileI prefer to use the carbon, especially for use in arc-furnaces, in the exceedingly hard and closely-knit mass in which I am able to obtain it by the burnin and collectin processes set forth, yet it wil be evident t at I may grind the same into a comminuted form and mix it with binding or other ingredients for shaping it into various articles, all within the spirit of the invention. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A process of forming charcoal-carbon electrodes comprising the i niting and bu1n ing of petroleum, limiting t e burning petroleum to one-place and collecting the carbon products of combustion in steps to form a substantially integral mass.

2. The process of forming hard carbon electrodes, comprising the combustion of atomized petroleum, collecting the products of combustion successively to form an integral mass, and the confining of theburnin petroleum for forming the mass in elongate sticks' 3. As a new article of manufacture, a hard carbon stick, comprising layers of carbon formed 'with integral coherency from the burned products of hydrocarbo 4. The process of forming charcoal-carbon, comprising the burning of atomized hydrocarbon o1ls, collecting the carbonaceous products resulting from .such burning in' a mass and movin the said mass to different positions for thic lrening the same.

5. The process of forming carbon for electrical purposes, comprising the burning of hydrocarbon oiland collecting the carbonaceous products in a mass and moving the mass to produce successive homogeneous layers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' TRUMAN P. SHARTS. Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, EDWARD T. FENWICK. 

